Travel

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Friday, November 16, 2012 4:26 AM CST

(BPT) – You’ve managed to navigate the holiday crowds at the post office, the mall and the office party, but you still need to get over the river and through the woods to gatherings with family and friends. Before you hit the roads, rails or skies this holiday season, dash through these helpful tips to make your trip as jolly as possible and, while you’re away, help you get a good night’s sleep.

* Be prepared: Don’t forget the necessities for the inevitable travel delay when packing your luggage and gifts. Pack each child a personal travel bag with surprise snacks, new books, small toys, art supplies and a travel-sized blanket and pillow. Bring yourself a book, crossword puzzle or correspondence to catch up on. Whether it’s a canceled flight, delayed train or road construction, planning ahead to keep your family occupied during these hold-ups ensures you will all arrive at your destination in a festive mood.

* Avoid the lines: Fly at non-peak hours by booking an early morning flight or a late night red-eye when airports tend to be less crowded. Pre-printing your boarding pass at home allows you to bypass the ticketing agent and self-serve kiosk. If you don’t have to check luggage, you can proceed directly to the security checkpoint. Pack lightly by planning outfits that can be mixed and matched and save on checked baggage fees because, face it, you always over-pack. Finally, arrive early – two hours in advance for domestic and three hours for international flights – because who wants to be running stressed-out through a crowded airport?

* Book a hotel: Having the entire extended family in one house is priceless for days of nostalgic meals, gift exchanges and photo ops. But between Grandpa’s snoring, the baby’s 3 a.m. feeding and Aunt Ida’s rambunctious labradoodle, it doesn’t always translate to a silent night of sleep. Instead, book a room at the Hilton Garden Inn, where your family can enjoy all the comforts of home including free WiFi, a fully equipped fitness facility, 24-hour business center and in-room refrigerators and microwaves for your favorite holiday leftovers. Guests who book a two-night minimum stay at a Hilton Garden Inn (Thursday through Saturday) through Jan. 6, 2013, using the “Holidays with Heart” rate, will receive a complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast. In addition, Hilton Garden Inn will donate a portion of your stay to Feeding America to help provide 500,000 meals for families in need.

* Plan alternative routes: Long car rides can be tedious, but when they’re extended due to heavy traffic, construction or weather issues, the trip can quickly turn into a nightmare. To help dodge traffic, check current freeway conditions online just before you leave to determine any immediate problems. Download a traffic app on your phone and have your passengers periodically check for upcoming delays during your trip. Keep maps handy – both electronic and printed in case of unpredictable cell service – so you can quickly find alternative routes around congested areas. Also, plan ahead for gas, food and rest stops in case of the unexpected … weather, car trouble, bathroom breaks or cravings for candy canes.

With a little forethought there are small things you can do to keep your family entertained, in good spirits and well-rested during holiday travel to ensure that your trip is full of merry making and fa la la la love.

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Take a journey through America’s history on a Washington D.C. tour

By Carol Stocker
Almost a century before New York’s celebrated High Line was converted from an abandoned elevated railroad spur into an aerial park, Shelburne Falls near Greenfield created its famous Bridge of Flowers from an abandoned railroad bridge over the Deerfield River in a true pioneering act of readapting the refuse of the industrial age.

Next summer Boston may have its own “bridge of flowers” over the Fort Point Channel on the historic 1908 metal truss “swing” bridge.

The Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America has contributed $60,000 to benefit horticultural beautification projects for two of the busiest pedestrian crossroads around the Rose Kennedy Greenway. At the Nov. 16 annual meeting, Chair Michele Hanss gave The Boston Harbor Association a $50,000 grant for installation of a horticultural display along the historic Old Northern Avenue Bridge linking the Rose Kennedy Greenway with the developing Seaport District.

The “Harbor-Link Gardens” proposal will transform the bridge, once considered an eyesore by many, with planters of labeled hardy seaside perennials and shrubs and with blue colored paving.

The Boston Committee’s Blossom Fund also presented $10,000 for the Christopher Columbus Park Circle Project to JoAnne M. Hayes-Rines, president of Friends of Christopher Columbus Park. This seed money will underwrite redesign of the misconceived pedestrian circle at that waterfront park.

Pedestrian use of both areas has greatly increased since completion of The Big Dig.

The office of Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s issued his statement of support: “Beautifying this bridge will attract more visitors to the popular Harborwalk and act as a fitting gateway to our rapidly growing Innovation District. Improving the Northern Avenue Bridge will also create a visual link to the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and I commend the partnership of public, private and non-profit sectors to help get the job done.”

At its annual meeting at The Country Club in Brookline, Hanss also presented Vivien Li and landscape architect David J. Warner, of Warner Larson Landscape Architects, with an Asian spruce, the first plant for the project, which is scheduled for spring completion. Li is president of The Boston Harbor Association, which has succeeded in creating the 40 mile Harborwalk which surrounds and is connected by the bridge. “This generous support will help to set a standard for future plantings and sustainable design along the waterfront,” she said, adding that local businesses will help with long term maintenance. Nearby luxury hotel developer Eric Sachsse voiced support and called the modest initiative “exceptionally impactful.” Landscape architect Warner Larson will provide pro bono services for the design and oversight of the installation.

Funding from the Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America is raised from a membership of 1100 women from 14 garden clubs in Greater Boston and southern New Hampshire. Said Hanss, “The mission of our consortium is to support horticultural initiatives in Boston that can have an impact on a greater number of people than similar projects each of our member clubs undertaking in our individual communities. Making horticulture and open space a priority in Boston will have a ripple effect throughout the region.”

The Boston Committee meeting’s speaker was Don Rakow, director of the Cornell Plantations, which encompasses 150 acre arboretum and over 4300 acres of natural areas at Cornell University. His research focuses on the history and management of public gardens. He said urban parks began a revival in the1990’s with the return of affluent populations to the city’s center. (He mentioned that the Boston Common, created in 1634, was the nation’s first urban park.)

Major trends in public gardens that Rakow identified including children’s gardens, and efforts to broaden use with multi-lingual signage, wheelchair accessible entries and distribution of free passes at churches and WIC sites.

Public gardens are also wrestling with climate change, Rakow said. Staff at the Arnold Arboretum have documented that many plants are blooming 10-14 days earlier in the spring than those collected in the past as herbarium specimens for Harvard.

And if its still needed after Hurricane Sandy, here’s another climactic change caveat: on August 28, 2011, rain runoff from Hurricane Irene (at that point a tropical storm) flooded the Deerfield River and engulfed the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls.

This is the time of year when families begin to look for that perfect Christmas tree.

Look for a tree with a healthy green appearance.

Run your hand along the branches to see whether the needles are fresh and flexible. They should not come off in your hand.

Bump the trunk of the tree on the ground. If tree needles fall off, the tree is not fresh. You can expect a few brown needles to fall off, not a lot

Make sure the base of the trunk is straight and 6 to 8 inches long so it can fit into a tree stand.

If you see splits in the trunk, the tree may have dried out previously.

Locally grown trees are usually fresher and less expensive than trees that have been shipped from a distance.

If your tree is going to be kept outside several days before it goes into the house, place it out of direct sunlight and wind to keep it from drying out. If the base of the tree has been cut within the last four to six hours, it will not need to be re-cut; if longer, the base should be re-cut so the tree can absorb water.

Cut straight across the trunk (not at an angle), and remove an inch or more from the bottom. A cut tree will absorb a lot of water, particularly during the first week. It can use 4 to 6 quarts of water per day. It can last the entire holiday season if it is fresh when purchased and given proper care.

Decorating with plants

Potted plants make great holiday decorations. In addition to the traditional poinsettia, most garden centers and nurseries carry cyclamen, kalanchoes, Christmas cactus and other colorful plants for the holidays.

When buying these plants, check the foliage and flowers carefully for signs of insects, such as mealy bugs and whiteflies. The plant should have healthy, lush green foliage and exhibit no signs of wilting or droopiness. Wrap the plant well in newspaper or a brown paper bag for transport home to prevent injury from the cold.

Once home, lighting is the most limiting factor. Choose and arrange plants according to light requirements. The brightest light is direct sunlight through a window on the south or southwest side of the house. Plants will grow toward the light, so it is important that they be rotated once a week to prevent them from becoming lopsided.

Plants should be kept out of drafts. To keep plants more attractive, remove faded blooms so they produce more flowering bulbs.

Most houseplant problems arise from overwatering. Plants grow best if the soil is moist, without excessive water.